Boiler-tube puller



Nov. 12, 1929. A. E. HAND BOILER TUBE FULLER Filed April 19, 1928 w w mm w J m mm 1 HHHH 6 4% M A 2 MN m UN m|$ .N\ urn Q 0 a i .711: a a r! IA? m T A Q i S s 3 Q N i 1mm Patented Nov. 12, 1929 ALBERT E.

HANLDQOF CLEAN, NEW YORK BOILER-TUBE FULLER Application filed April 19,

The present invention relates to boiler tube pullers and has for anobject to provide an expansible member adapted to fit within one end ofthe tube and operable from a position re:

mote therefrom whereby to grip the Walls of the tube and drawthe sameoutwardly from the boiler plate. I i k a I .Afurther object of theinvention is to pro vide a tube puller of this character in which theexpansible tube gripping member is operable for expanding actuationasthe same is moved in a direction outwardly with respect to the tube. I

A stillfurther object of the invention 18 to 5 providea'n apparatus ofthis character adapted to initially pull the tube outwardly of theboiler plate a predetermined distance in order to break the tube loosefrom its seat in the plate afterwhichthe apparatus forinitially pullingthe tubeis moved and a supplemental pulling apparatussubstituted 1nplace thereof for entirely remov ng the tube from the boiler. i

I An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthis character which is operable to pull the tube from the boiler platewithout injuring the same so that the tube may be replaced for furtheruse in the boiler. Q g 3 Another object of the invention is to providean apparatus of this character of a. simple and practical construction,strong and durable, efiicient and reliable in performance,relativelyinexpensive tomanufacture, easy to 111- stall in operative position andotherwlse well adapted to the purposes for whichthe same is intended. iy t Other objects and advantages reside in the specialconstruction,combination and ar- '40rangement of the various elementsforming the invention as morefully hereinafter described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof,wherein "like numerals refer to hke i efiparts throughout, and in which-In the drawingsr. p. I I v Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional v ewthrough the apparatus for initially pulling the tube from the boilerplate,

Figure 2 'is} atransverse sectional view of tapering sections with the1928. Serial No. 271,215.

through the expandible member taken along a line 2-2 of Figure 1, y Y aFigure 3 is a View in side elevation, with parts broken away and insection of a swivel drive connection for use with the apparatus when thetube is disposed in an inaccessible position and Figure 4 is afragmentary detail of the drive shaft connected end of an operatinghandlefor manually operating the device. Referring now to the drawingsin detail, in Figure 1 I have illustrated the portion of the inventionadapted to initially pull a boiler tube 5 from its attached plate 6,this feature of the invention comprising an expansible member composedof a plurality of gripping segments 7 each having one end abutting aplate 8 and their opposite ends adapted for extending Within the tube 5.v i

The outer surface of the segment 7 is formed with a series of teeth 9adapted to provide a biting engagement with the inner wall of the tube,said segmentbeing retained in contracting position by means of a coilspring 10 extending circumferentially thereabout. The inner face of eachof the segments 7 1S recessedcombining to form ahollow interior for. thegripping member of a square shaped formation in cross section, asclearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings and formed throughoutits length with a series tapered portion of each of the segments 7diverging inwardly from the free end thereof.

An opening is concentrically arranged in the plate 8 in which extends arod 11, one

end of the rod being disposed within the gripping member and having aseries of tapering heads 12 formed thereon extending longitudinally withrespect to the rod;

The tapered heads 12 are adaptedto seat respectively in the taperingsections of the interior of the gripping member so that upon the outwardmovement of the rod 11 the ends will cause an expansion of the segment 7o and force the teeth 9 intogripping relation with the inner surface ofthe tube.

The opposite end of the rod 11 threadedly carries the plunger 13arranged for limited slidingmovement within a recess 14 formed providesa cover for the gear.

at one end of a screw 15 operable within a casting 16. The outer end ofthe recess 1 1 is provided with a threaded plug 1'? through which therod 11 is slidably extended, a hearing assembly 18 being interposedbetween the plunger 13 and the plug 17 to facilitate the rotarymovementof the rod 11.

One end of the casting 16 is externally threaded for threadedlyreceiving a tubular spacing member 19 having one end thereof disposed inabutting relation with the outer face of the boiler plate 6. The rod 11extends longitudinally through this spacing member so that the abuttingend of such member will be disposed about the tube desired to be pulledfrom the plate.

The spacing member 19 is of sufficient length to permit the end of thetube 5 to es;- tend within the same during the pulling operation and thewalls of the spacing member are formed with a series of window openings20 enabling the operator to observe the extent of movemeht of the tubewithin said member.

The end of a screw 15 disposed opposite I from the rod 11 extendsoutwardly from the casting and is provided with a longitudinallyextending keyway 21 for receiving the key 22 whereby to secure thebeveled gear 23 upon the end of the screw for rotation therewith andpermitting longitudinal sliding movement of the gear thereon.

The side of the gear disposed adjacent the casting is formed with a hub24 within which there is arranged an annular groove 25 for receiving aninturned flange 26 of a gear attaching plate 27 secured to the castingby means of screws 28 orthe like.

The flanges 26 permit the free rotary movement of the beveled gear butretain the same against longitudinal movement with respect to thecasting during the longitudinal movement of the screw 15. A bushing29 isinterposed between the end of the casting 16 and the screw 15 adjacentthe beveled pin to facilitate the free rotary and longitudinal movementof the screw.

- The beveled gear 23 is operatively connected with apinion gear 30mounted on a drive shaft 31 journaled for rotation in one portion of thecasting 16 and extending outwardly therefrom.

A housing 32 is attached to the casting and The housing is also formedwith an opening through which the outer end of the screw'15 may slidablyextend. The outer end of the shaft 31 is provided witha tube collar 33adapted for engagement with sprocket 34 mounted on an operating handle35 provided for the manual operation of'the shaft 31.

In case the tube to be pulled is remotely disposed within the boiler theshaft 31 may be provided with a swivelextension as illustrated in Figure3 of the drawing whereby to provide for the operation of the shaft froma convenient position outside of the boiler. This swivel extensioncomprises a shaft section 36 having a cap 37' keyed on each end thereoffor rotation therewith and to each of the caps is attached a socketmember 38 by a conventional universal 89.

The end of the shaft 31 is formed with an annular groove 40 adapted toreceive the hooked end 41 of a latch member 42 pivotally mounted on oneof the socket members 38 of the swivel connection whereby to releasablyretain the connection to the end of the shaft 31.

In the operation of the device the casting 16 is placed in position withthe spacing member 19 disposed about the tube desired to be pulled andthe gripping member inserted inwardly of the end of such tube. Agripping member operating handle 13 is operatively attached to the plate8 and adapted for manually forcing the segments? inwardly against thetapering portion of the heads 12 whereby to cause the expansion of thesegments for gripping the inner walls of the tube.

The shaft 81 is then rotated in a proper direction for moving the screw15 outwardly of the casting whereby the tapering head 12 disposed withinthe gripping member will force the gripping segments 7 within the wallsof the tube in gripping relation therewith.

The continued movement of the screw 15 will accordingly pull the tube -5outwardly with respect to the boiler plate 6 until the ends of the tubeis disposed'with-in the spacing member 19.

It is obvious that my invention issusceptible to various changes andmodifications in construction without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the appended claims, and I accordingly claimall such formsof the device to which I am entitled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A boiler tube puller comprising a casting disposed in abuttingrelation with the tube plate of the boiler, a tube gripping membercarried by the'casting and arranged for insertion within the tube,'meansfor expanding said gripping member, a screw threadedly carried by thecasting for longitudinal movement with respect thereto and operativelyconnected with'the gripping member extending means whereby upon theoperation of said screw to move said gripping member and the tubelongitudinally with respect to said casting and manually operable meansattached to said gripping member and adapted for actuation independentlyof the screw whereby to cause the expansion of said memher by themovement thereof relative to the expansion means. I

.2. A boiler tube puller comprisingacasting having a tubular spacingmember extending from one end thereof and adapted to be disposed inabutting relation with a boiler tube plate whereby to space the castingoutwardly therefrom, a screw operatively carried by the casting, anexpansible tube gripping member adapted for insertion within one end ofthe tube and normally disposed in con-' tracted position, meansconnecting said gripping member with said screw and operable to expandsaid gripping member upon the movement thereof in a predetermineddirection, means independent of the screw arranged for manual operationwhereby to return said gripping member to its normal contracted positionand operating means for said screw carried by said casting.

3. A boiler tube puller comprising a casting having a tubular spacingmember extending from one end thereof and adapted to be disposed inabutting relation with a boiler tube plate whereby to space the castingoutwardly therefrom, a screw operatively carried by the casting, anexpansible tube gripping member adapted for insertion within one end ofthe tube and normally disposed in contracted position, means connectingsaid gripping mem ber with said screw and operable to expand saidgripping member upon the movement thereof in a predetermined direction,means independent of the screw arranged for manual operation whereby toreturn said gripping member to its normal contracted position andoperating means for said screw carried by said casting, and including abeveled gear mounted on the screw-for rotation therewith and permittingrelative longitudinal movement of the screw with respect thereto, apinion gear for said beveled gear, a drive shaft for the pinion gear anda swivel operating connection for said shaft adapted to operate theshaft from a position remote therefrom.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALBERT E. HAND.

